So that brings us to
AP is not "one size fits all" parenting. It is a larger umbrella that has more to do with the relationship then any specific behaviour such as co-sleeping, nursing or EC (elimination communication or diaper free baby--if you are reading this and have never heard of that)
AP is parenting approach not a "must do" list for parents to check off.

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precisely what i meant, naomi. there are tons of behaviors that i think flow naturally out of an AP lifestyle, but are certainly not necessities to upholding the Principles. you could interview all nearly 800 (as of today) of us on this board and find thousands of variations on what it "looks" like.

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I was talking to dh about this topic this morning and he started laughing. There are times when we would like to have more time as a couple time, but it has absolutely nothing to do with being an AP family and everything to do with having 4 children and pregnant with the 5th. You're not going to find too many people willing to watch 4 extra children, with one of them being high needs. This guy obviously has no clue about what AP is and is only judging by a stereotype.

I really don't get what's so wrong about respecting your child(ren) and showing them you do care about they're thinking/feeling. People like him have no clue whatsoever and I feel horrible for his children (if he has any).

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I turned my parents to AP, although they wouldn't know to call it that. My second child was very "needy," perhaps colicky. For the first four months, she refused to be held or comforted by anyone but me, not even her father. I wore her constantly, and nursed her exclusively until she started self-feeding. My parents kept telling me I would spoil her, that she would never learn to be independent.

Before she even reached her second birthday, they changed their minds. They told me that they admired me as a parent, that I had seen a need in my child and responded to it, and had produced a very independent, self-secure individual.

Just a couple of weeks ago, my MIL was visiting, and she told me that my third, who is 11 mos old, is spoiled because we wouldn't put him in a playpen (we don't own one, anyway), with some toys, and expect him to be happy ALL DAY while we stained windows. Instead, we asked my mom to come over and play with him and keep him away from the chemicals. When my MIL said this, and that we hold him too much, she looked to my mom for agreement, but my mom just looked at her and said nothing. (That's her way, and the best response in this situation - not worth making waves.)

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Oh my God - you can tell this guy is a pompous a@#! My expectation of a parenting expert would be someone who can make informed and intelligent arguments (among other things), even if they don't agree with something. Where is he getting his information from?! I'm stymied that someone would be brave enough to write something so ignorant on the web. There was someone above who said they emailed him, did he write you back?! I'd love to get him in a room with a bunch of us

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Let me add this. For some reason people think you have to hold your baby all the time. It seems when people have trouble with attachment parenting it is because they are not doing it right. They take it to such an extreme that it becomes bad lol.